Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nanoparticle and a method of forming the nanoparticle, and more particularly, to a nanoparticle which includes a cuboid base including a semiconductor material.
Description of the Related Art
There are special types of nanoparticles (e.g., Janus particles) having surfaces with two or more distinct physical properties. The unique surface of these nanoparticles allows different types of chemistry to occur on the same particle.
The particles can be used as sensors, where toposelective functionalization of the hemispheres for (bio)-chemical targeting enables such particles to interact with receptors on surfaces or in solution, which translates into different rotational properties that can be used for detection purposes.
The particles can also be used, for example, in E-ink display. Microspheres died black and white with carbon black and titania pigments can be actuated by reverting AC-electrical fields when transparent electrodes are sandwiched on top and below a monolayer of these particles.
Another very promising application is to utilize the multiple functions of the particles to achieve targets including the rapid and sensitive detection of pathogens, specific cell labeling, in vitro and in vivo imaging, and the targeted delivery and on demand release of pharmaceuticals in site-specific treatments of injuries or diseases at the same time.
The particles can be fabricated, for example, via simple masking, self assembly, or phase separation.
However, it is still a daunting challenge to make the particles with highly uniform size and multiple (more than two) faces with different functionalities or properties.